13 killed as blast rips thru parked car near Red Fort

New Delhi: A high-intensity explosion ripped through a car parked near the Red Fort Metro station on Monday evening, gutting several vehicles and killing at least 13 people, officials said.

Twenty-four people were injured in the blast that took place on a busy evening when the area was milling with people. The injured were taken to the LNJP hospital a few kilometres away.

Videos shared by the Chandni Chowk Traders' Association showed the magnitude of the blast. A body could be seen lying on a vehicle. Another video showed a body lying on the road. Eyewitnesses said body parts could be seen scattered near the blast site.

A high alert has been sounded in Delhi. Ten fire tenders were rushed to the spot with police cordoning off the area, the Delhi Fire Services said. The fire, officials said, was brought under control by 7.29 pm.

"Six cars, two e-rickshaws and one autorickshaw were gutted in the fire," said a fire department official.

A team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) reached the spot.

The blast was so powerful that it shattered the windows of vehicles parked several metres away.

The sound was heard at ITO a few kilometres away.

"The blast occurred in a car parked near Red Fort metro station gate number 1. The intensity was quite high. Injuries are feared," said a senior official of Delhi Fire Service.

Visuals of the incident showed plumes of fire billowing from the burning cars.

Panic gripped the area as several vehicles were seen damaged at the spot following the loud explosion.

An injured eyewitness, who suffered a wound on his forehead, said the explosion appeared to have originated from a car, probably a Swift.

“There was a Swift car in front of my auto. There was something in that car that suddenly blasted,” he said.

Another witness said, “I was at the gurdwara when I heard a strong sound. We couldn’t make out what it was, it was that loud.”

“A number of vehicles nearby were completely damaged,” he added.

Sanjay Bhargaw, president of the Chandni Chowk Traders Association, whose shop is about 800 metres away from the incident site, said the entire building shook due to the blast.

There was chaos in the market as people started running, he shared.

The blast came hours after the recovery of around 360 kg of suspected ammonium nitrate and a cache of arms and ammunition from a Kashmiri doctor’s rented accommodation in nearby Faridabad.

Haryana Police, in coordination with their Jammu and Kashmir counterparts, arrested Dr Muzammil Ganaie from Faridabad’s Dhauj area recovered explosive materials, weapons, and timers from his rented house.

High-alert in Mumbai

Meanwhile, a high-alert has been sounded in Mumbai and NCR cities. Uttar Pradesh police have been instructed to remain alert. Directives have been issued for the checking of vehicles in NCR. Police have also been instructed to stay vigilant at key locations across the rest of the state.